Swiss furniture maker Embru is preparing a wire-grid patio chair that can lose a part without losing the whole chair. The Patio Chair, designed by Moritz Schmid, pairs an open wire-grid seat and back with a frame that keeps its outline clear. Its most practical feature is the one you can’t see in a photograph.
Embru describes the Patio Chair as a modular outdoor chair. Its seating surfaces attach through a specially developed mounting system, so the same frame can take different seat types. When one part fails, the rest of the structure stays in use.
If a chair that adapts to different uses appeals to you, Wilhelm Knoll’s Scissor Chair Shifts From Upright to Lounge shows another piece built to change its form.
A visible joint
The connection between backrest and frame is easy to find. In Embru’s detail photograph, a circular metal fitting breaks up the blue grid and marks the point where the parts meet. The hardware is not hidden, and that makes the chair read as an assembly rather than a single molded piece.
That visibility supports the repair argument. Before any engineering details appear, the photograph shows where the chair separates into parts.
Materials and finishes for the wire-grid patio chair
Embru plans two main versions. The outdoor version of the wire-grid patio chair uses the wire grid. The indoor model uses wood-veneer panels in oak, ash, black ash, and walnut. A separate Embru statement, cited by Core77 and New York Metropolitan, also mentions a plywood-surfaced variant. The sources do not reconcile the two descriptions, so the panel material should be confirmed with Embru before purchase.
The grid on this wire-grid patio chair comes in four finishes: wine red, gray-blue, black, and silver hot-dip galvanizing. Of the four, I would choose gray-blue. It gives the grid enough color to look deliberate without dominating a patio.
The wood version changes the chair’s character. Where the grid lets the background show through, the broad panels form solid planes. In the rear view of the black version, the backrest looks like a sheet floating above the slim frame. That version suits an indoor room better than an outdoor one.
A familiar approach from Embru
Schmid has worked with Embru before. His earlier Park Chair uses a tubular steel frame with curved rear legs, which give a plain garden chair an unexpected profile. Embru says it developed that design around the manufacturing capabilities at its Rüti factory. The Patio Chair follows the same pattern of shaping a product around what the factory can build.
Embru’s announcement frames the Patio Chair under a “Design for Repair” approach. The company says the approach gives buyers more flexibility, especially in contract settings, and extends a product’s lifespan while conserving resources. Those claims come from Embru and have not been tested in use.
The repair argument has company in other objects, too. Hegren’s Repairable Knekt Floor Lamp Design applies a similar idea to lighting, pairing easy fixes with local craftsmanship.
What the preview does not answer
Appearance only goes so far for a lounge chair. The photographs show the shape, not how the seat feels after an hour with a book. I would want to sit in the wire-grid patio chair before calling it comfortable for a full afternoon.
Embru expects the Patio Chair to reach production by the end of 2026, according to the preview. The preview gives no price and does not confirm availability in the United States. It also does not explain how replacement parts will be ordered or priced. A removable component only helps an owner if the part is easy to buy.
The premise still earns attention. I do not need every chair to become a family heirloom, and I am skeptical of any furniture described as timeless before anyone has lived with it. I do want the option to keep a chair I like when one component wears out. If Embru supports that with replacement parts, the Patio Chair’s most useful feature will matter more with use than it does in the first photograph.
Via yankodesign.com
Frequently asked questions
What finishes does the Embru Patio Chair grid come in?
The grid on the wire-grid patio chair comes in four finishes: wine red, gray-blue, black, and silver hot-dip galvanizing. The indoor wood-veneer version uses oak, ash, black ash, and walnut panels instead.
How do the seats attach to the Embru Patio Chair?
The seating surfaces attach through a specially developed mounting system, so the same frame can take different seat types. When one part fails, the rest of the structure stays in use.
When is the Embru Patio Chair expected to reach production?
According to the preview, Embru expects the Patio Chair to reach production by the end of 2026.
Is the Embru Patio Chair priced or available in the United States?
The preview gives no price for the Patio Chair. It also does not confirm availability in the United States.
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